Reviewed from notes. This was one 4.5 oz. taster of a flight of four I sampled at PP Carlsbad.

Nice head on the pour, but it fades into a creamy swirl on the top. Clearish brown in color. Not a big nose on it, but the taste is quite good. I get an almost nutty, roasted, and woodiness to it too. That woodiness probably comes from the surprising earthiness that the hops bring out on the linger.

Nice brew. It was somewhat drinkable for its stats, so a pint of this would be good at almost anytime. (500 characters)

A deep dark brown with ruby highlights at the edges. Very thin tan head. Leaves sticky lines of lacing down the glass. A particularly beautiful brown ale.

The only place this beer really disappoints is in its aroma. At first I thought it was because the beer was served probably slightly too cold, but nothing really came out to shine even as I allowed it to warm. All I could really smell was the warm stinging bite of alcohol and little else; this beer was missing the nutty and roasted malt elements I'm familiar with and enjoy in other brown ales.

Although the beer was very tasty. Lots of roasted malt and a hint of sweetness. Very little alcohol presence in the mouth which is a pleasant surprise after finding it in the nose.

A rich, smooth, and full mouthfeel, unusually spectacular for a brown ale. Great!

S: A nice nuttiness up front along with plenty of toffee and a nice roasted malt aroma. Dark chocolate and mild coffee aromas are there, too, and a moderate level of booze is present.

T: Heavier on the coffee than I was anticipating. Lots of roasted malt and dark chocolate, a bit of cocoa powder, as well. There is a slight creaminess to the beer which is nice and it lacks the alcohol presence of the smell (another plus).

M: The body is medium with a smooth carbonation to it.

D: Decently strong in alcohol but quite enjoyable. I would gladly have another pour of this beer. (683 characters)

T: Upper moderate bitterness with a toasted bread malt base and a nice caramel profile. There are distinct nutty notes and there's a lower moderate sweetness. I don't know the ABV on this but I would guess 8.5-9.5, and booze provides warming with little flavor. Finishes dry and toasted.

M: Upper medium in body with upper moderate carbonation. The mouthfeel is awesome on this. It's smooth and sticky with a great creaminess.

Overall: A good hoppy Imperial Brown. Though it's not a style I think needs to be imperialized, this was enjoyable and well made. (881 characters)